The past few years have exposed a dramatic shift in South Indian cinema—Telugu and Kannada films are conquering pan-India audiences with record-breaking hits, while even A-list Tamil stars are facing shocking rejections in their own backyard. Blockbusters like Hanu Man, Pushpa 2, and KGF dominated screens across India, whereas Tamil cinema’s biggest bets—Indian 2, Lal Salaam, Vettaiyan, and Kanguva—have crashed spectacularly.
What explains this growing divide? Is it purely about content, or is there a deeper political backlash at play? This analysis dives into:
- Tamil cinema’s shocking flop streak—why star power alone isn’t working anymore
- Telugu & Kannada’s winning formula—how universal emotions and rooted storytelling beats propaganda films
- The DMK factor—are audiences rejecting films from politically aligned stars or is it a jinx?
- The future of Tamil cinema—can it recover lost ground, or will Malayalam, Telugu & Kannada keep leading?
The numbers don’t lie—this isn’t just a slump, but a seismic shift in South Indian cinema’s power dynamics. Let’s break it down.
Tamil Cinema’s Dismal Performance Over The Past Few Years
The Tamil film industry has experienced one of its most challenging years in 2024, with staggering financial losses and an alarming number of box office failures. Producers incurred ₹1,000 crore in losses from ₹3,000 crore spent on film production. There’s abysmal success rate as only 18 out of 241 released films succeeded, marking a 7% success rate with 223 flops.
Big-Budget Disasters Due To Dravidian Model Curse
High-profile films with major stars failed spectacularly:
1. Indian 2 – Hyped for reunion of Kamal-Shankar combo, the film tried to peddle DMK rhetoric and ended up as a disaster
2. Kanguva – DMK simp Suriya’s alleged 3D film turned out to be trash
3. Vettaiyan – Made by two-bit Dravidian propagandist TJ Gnanavel against NEET became another consecutive flop Rajinikanth
4. Lal Salaam – Another Dravidian Model propaganda on secularism turned out to be the worst film ever in Rajini’s career, courtesy his daughter
5. Thangalaan – A wannabe KGF turned into typical Dravidianist diarrhoea — with a pathetic storyline and worse visuals, it peddled anti-Brahmin stereotypes, de-Hinduised village deities, distorted Varna and Vishnu references, misused Buddha and Ramanuja, and glorified Christianity and Islamist tyrant Tipu Sultan
6. Viduthalai 2 – The communist-themed movie directed by the Dravidianist filmmaker Vetrimaaran, ended up as epic bore that glorifies Maoist violence and forces ideological propaganda through lectures
7. Retro – Overrated director and another Dravidianist propagandist Karthik Subbaraj gave another flop for DMK simp Suriya
8. Thug Life – DMK stooge Kamal Haasan’s outing with Mani Ratnam turned out be torture that is not even worth an OTT watch
These are just a few P** films of famous stars that ended up as disasters. There are so many nondescript heavily ideological indoctrinating films that have come and gone.
Kollywood seems cursed by the Dravidian Model — actors and directors who simp for the DMK dynasty are watching their careers nosedive. If you trace the common thread running through these cinematic disasters, the pattern is as clear as daylight — either the actor, the director, or the film itself was neck-deep in Dravidianist, DMK propaganda. And Tamil audiences have had enough.
Take Suriya, for instance — who shamelessly morphed into a DMK lapdog ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections. In Soorarai Pottru, he distorted the real-life story of Captain Gopinath — a proud Kannada Brahmin — by portraying him as a follower of E.V. Ramasamy Naicker. Facts were twisted to fit a toxic ideological narrative.
Then came Jai Bhim, directed by the ever-consistent Dravidianist propagandist T.J. Gnanavel. Again based on a real incident, the film not only vilified Brahmins but went a step further by maligning the Vanniyar community. The villain, SI Anthony Sami, is shown alongside the sacred Agni motif — a clear nod to the Vanniyars. But in reality, the actual sub-inspector who brutalised Rajakannu was named Anthony Sami and was not Vanniyar, but a converted Christian. Truth, once again, took a backseat to ideological storytelling.
Gnanavel doubled down with Vettaiyan, where he glorified British colonialists — a classic Dravidianist move — and launched a full-scale propaganda war against NEET, with Rajinikanth parroting the script. No surprise that Rajini’s films, ever since Kabali and Kaala, have struggled to recreate the magic. When you replace substance with sermon, the audience tunes out.
Pa. Ranjith’s Natchathiram Nagargiradhu and Thangalaan? Box office duds. Vetri Maaran, another loud leftist-Dravidianist voice, faced a serious setback with Viduthalai Part 2. And Kamal Haasan — now reduced to a DMK mascot — has delivered back-to-back disappointments with Indian 2 and Thug Life.
The message from Tamil people is unmissable: stop selling us political trash dressed up as cinema. We go to the theatre to be inspired, entertained, and told stories — not to be preached at, stereotyped, or subjected to ideological indoctrination.
When filmmakers trade creativity for caste-baiting, Hindu-bashing, and dynasty worship, the people respond the only way they know how — by staying home. And the box office shows no mercy to those who mistake propaganda for art.
The Telugu-Kannada Domination: How They’re Rewriting Pan-Indian Cinema
While Tamil films flounder, Telugu and Kannada cinema are setting new benchmarks, proving that content—not just star power—drives success. Their winning streak isn’t accidental; it’s a masterclass in modern filmmaking.
- Lucky Bhaskar (Dulquer Salmaan) didn’t just earn ₹111.9 crore—it swept state awards, proving mass appeal and critical acclaim can coexist.
- Pushpa and RRR aren’t just films—they’re cultural phenomena, with global fandom and Oscar-level recognition for RRR.
- Even mid-budget films like Hanu Man explode beyond expectations, thanks to visionary storytelling.
- KGF didn’t just break records—it redefined what regional cinema could achieve, with a pan-India frenzy rarely seen before.
- Kantara became more than a film—it sparked a nationwide revival of South Indian folklore, grossing ₹400+ crore while turning the ancient Bhoota Kola ritual into a cultural talking point. Its raw authenticity and mystical storytelling resonated globally, earning a National Award and setting the stage for a highly anticipated prequel
The Tamil Film Crisis: A Perfect Storm Of Failures
The recent string of high-profile Tamil flops reveals deeper issues plaguing the industry. Kamal Haasan’s much-anticipated Thug Life, reuniting with legendary director Mani Ratnam, was panned as a “bloated, incoherent gangster drama” filled with political undertones and cringe-worthy monologues. Similarly, Indian 2—despite Shankar’s direction and Kamal’s star power—was criticized for its “hollow script, absurd action sequences, and virtue-signaling narrative.”
Suriya’s Kanguva became a national laughingstock, with audiences mocking its “repetitive 3D visuals and disastrous screenplay.” Even Rajinikanth couldn’t save Vettaiyan, which saw a sharp drop after its opening weekend due to accusations of ideological propaganda and weak storytelling.
Industry analysts point to several key reasons for this downturn:
Overdependence On Star Power – Tamil cinema has long relied on its megastars to carry films, but audiences are now rejecting hollow scripts masked by big names.
Political Fatigue – Films perceived as promoting Dravidianist (DMK)-aligned narratives, such as Lal Salaam and Vettaiyan, are facing backlash from viewers who prefer entertainment over propaganda.
Weak Scripts & Recycled Tropes – Many recent Tamil films suffer from outdated storytelling, poor character development, and forced messaging, while Telugu and Kannada cinema invest in fresh, universal narratives.
Telugu-Kannada’s Winning Streak: What Are They Doing Right?
In stark contrast, Telugu and Kannada industries are thriving by focusing on strong content, innovative marketing, and pan-Indian appeal.
Kantara’s Success Story – Rishab Shetty’s Kantara became a cultural phenomenon by blending Karnataka’s tradition with a gripping, universally relatable conflict. Unlike Tamil films burdened with political baggage, Kantara stayed true to its roots while appealing to a national audience.
Pushpa & KGF’s Mass Appeal – Both franchises transcended regional boundaries with raw, high-energy storytelling, proving that strong scripts and bold execution matter more than star power alone.
Hanu Man’s Surprise Win – The Telugu superhero film Hanu Man outperformed expectations by delivering a visually stunning experience without leaning on political or ideological crutches.
The Road Ahead For Tamil Cinema
For Tamil films to regain lost ground, industry insiders suggest a return to basics:
Depoliticize – Stop alienating audiences with politically (Dravidianist)-aligned messaging. Cut your service to the DMK first family. Enough is enough. Don’t push an industry into abyss for your political virtue-signalling.
Innovate – Move beyond star vehicles and formulaic scripts. Big stars who are past their heydays should either gracefully retire or do character roles or atleast act their age. Rajiinkanth and Kamal can learn a thing or two from Mohanlal and Amitabh Bachchan.
Think Bigger – Craft universal but rooted stories, not just focus on propaganda.
With major Tamil releases like Coolie (Rajinikanth), Idly Kadai (Dhanush), Dhruva Natchathiram (Vikram), etc lined up for 2025, the industry has a chance to course-correct. But unless it learns from Telugu and Kannada cinema’s success, the decline may only deepen.
Vallavaraayan is a political writer.
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